| Hamas seeks truce with Israel |
GAZA CITY Gaza fighters said they were ready to sign an Egyptian-brokered truce to end three days of cross-border fighting after Israeli air strikes killed a Palestinian militant and a 14-year-old boy even as the fighters fired rockets from Gaza into Israel for a fourth consecutive day on Thursday.
In a statement, a wing of the Hamas group in control of Gaza said late on Wednesday: “Responding to the Egyptian efforts, we and the armed resistance announce our commitment to stop this round of confrontation as long as the occupation stops this aggression.”
Israel had no immediate comment. It customarily avoids responding whenever intermediaries reach an accord with Gaza militants as Israel refuses to recognise them citing the Islamists’ refusal to acknowledge Israel’s existence.
The Israeli military had earlier said in a statement it would “continue to operate with perseverance and determination against those who use terror against the State of Israel”.
An Egyptian source had earlier said that efforts were afoot to try to achieve a ceasefire in fighting seen as risking a wider conflict at a time when Egypt faces political uncertainty after a contested presidential election.
Monday’s violence erupted after a cross-border attack launched from Egypt’s Sinai desert killed an Israeli civilian. Israel shot dead two of the attackers, then launched air strikes on Gaza, killing eight, including Wednesday’s victims.
A newly formed radical movement, the “Shura Council of Mujahideen in the Holy Land”, claimed responsibility for Monday’s raid from Egypt.
An Israeli raid on Wednesday killed a member of a fringe Salafi network Israel said was involved in Monday’s violence. He was struck while riding his motorcycle in Rafah, near Gaza’s border with Egypt, medical officials said.
A second air strike in Gaza City killed a 14-year-old boy and wounded his father, also a civilian, the officials said.
The Israeli military confirmed the air strikes, saying the second one had targeted a squad firing rockets from a largely civilian-inhabited area in northern Gaza.
Palestinians fired more than 50 rockets into Israel on Wednesday, sending panicky residents fleeing to safe rooms or shelters, and damaging a home but causing no casualties, police and the Israeli army said.
Seven rockets slammed into southern Israel after midnight.
Agencies
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